Author name: Johanna

I help you identify and solve the problems that prevent you from releasing systems, hiring the right people, deciding which project to work on next. I take a pragmatic approach: what will work best for you, now? Some people call me a focuser. Some call me an accelerator. When I work with people, first we define our goal together. Typically, it's to get a better product out the door faster. I work with my clients to help managers figure out how to do the managing better, and how the technical contributors can contribute better, not to create a by-the-book system. I work with you, your staff, and your current product development practices. Together, we learn what works well for you and what doesn't. I believe in changing only what needs to be changed at the current time, to maximize your success. We work together to develop a blueprint for the future, and to build in capacity to recognize and implement change.

Books, MPD

Two More Great Reviews of Manage It!

I discovered two more great reviews of Manage It! Your Guide to Modern, Pragmatic Project Management. The first is a brief explanation of the Jolt awards. Take a look at Winners of the 18th Jolt Product Excellence Awards & Recipients of the Jolt Productivity Awards. (Scroll down a bit to see what Roland Racko said […]

MPD, schedule

When You Don’t Need a Schedule

I’m particular about two things: calling a prose plan a project plan and calling a Gantt chart (or yellow stickies) a schedule. One of my colleagues emailed me last week, explaining he’d spent a week developing a project plan and was hoping I could take a look at it. “Sure,” I said. “Send it along.”

HTP, Recruiter

Why You Should Make Friends with Recruiters

In response to my first recruiter interview, a colleague wrote in with the reasons he stays in touch with recruiters: Some of the best jobs / candidates are rarely advertised If you refer people to your friend the recruiter, there is the possibility of a finders fee They can keep you aware of trends in

newsletter

Timeboxes Help Multisite Teams

Rothman Consulting Group, Inc. Pragmatic Manager, Vol. 5 #3, Timeboxes Help Multisite Teams April 29, 2008 Feature Article: Timeboxes Help Multisite Teams   I love timeboxing my work. Timeboxing–choosing a period of time in which to finish a specific task–helps me stay focused on just one thing at a time. Imagine you’ve estimated you have

HTP, Recruiter

Q&A With Dave Freireich

I decided to start a new series, interviewing recruiters. It’s not clear to me that either my hiring manager colleagues or candidate colleagues are using recruiters as well as they could be. Here’s the first interview with Dave Freireich, one of the authors of Getting the Job. I loved his An interview is a blind

Books, MPD

Great Stickyminds Review of Manage It! Posted

Take a look at the Stickyminds review of Manage It! Jennifer says: I highly recommend this book to all project managers, from novices to those with more experience. This is an incredible resource that should be referred to frequently for advice on how to help you decide which project management practice or technique is appropriate

HTP, interview

A Possibly Perfect Interview Question

Jurgen has The Perfect Job Interview Question. It’s When reviewing somebody else’s code, what is it that you usually find most disturbing? This is a good question. If someone doesn’t review code, you’ll hear that. Jurgen goes on to discuss the syntax answers vs. the design/architecture answers. He has a point. I would add some

Interview, MPD

Interview Posted at DDJ

Michael Hunter, the Braidy Tester, and one of the smartest testers I know, interviewed me on his DDJ blog. To be honest, I emailed him and asked if he’d like to interview me 🙂 I had things to say about testing. The interview is here. You can’t leave comments there, so please leave them here.

MPD, workshop

Public Workshop Announcement: Manage It! Pragmatic Project Management

I’ve signed all the paperwork, so now it’s official. I will be offering a public project management workshop September 22-24, 2008 in Waltham, Massachusetts. The workshop syllabus is at Manage It! Pragmatic Project Management Workshop. Everyone receives a copy of Manage It! plus a workbook for your writing and working through the workshop. Have questions?

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